Cacotode
Basic Information
Anatomy
The cacotode anatomy is suitably adapted for a subterranean lifestyle. Along with developing a slimmer body, the side appendages have atrophied into tiny pivotable spurs that may aid in pushing the cacotode forward. Cacotodes have retained their lateral jaws from their ancestors, with little difference aside from tiny tooth-like projections sparsely lining the edge of the jaws. When the jaws are shut, the head tapers into a cone shape to aid in tunnelling. The body is divided into 15 to 20 segments, although the exact number of segments is not genetically stable and varies between generations. To power the cacotode’s tunnelling habits, the abdominal muscles are particularly well-built and able to function even in limited oxygen conditions. Movement of these muscles facilitate circulation of hemocyanin around the body. The gills have also become internalised to further decrease drag, instead having small pores leading to simple respiratory organs with villi for gas exchange. The internalisation of the gill fronds grants the cacotode some degree of resistance to desiccation, letting some species thrive in terrestrial soils containing less moisture. The digestive system of the cacotode is an unremarkable gut that extends through the entire length of the body, while the nervous system is composed of two ganglia also extending through the entire body.
Genetics and Reproduction
Being true hermaphrodites, cacotodes can mate with any of their own species as long as they have reached sexual maturity. When two individuals meet each other, they engage in a ‘mating dance’, where they twirl around each other while secreting large amounts of mucus and gametes from their posterior cloaca. The eggs are left to fertilize and hatch within the protective mucus that was produced during mating.
Growth Rate & Stages
Cacotodes have no distinguishable life stages, as the young simply appear as miniature versions of adults. Hatchlings start off at a miniscule 0.5cm in length, growing at a continuous rate of 0.2cm every local month under optimal conditions. This growth rate is continuous, lasting until the end of the organism’s lifespan. Sexual maturity is reached fairly early at 100 local days of age.
Ecology and Habitats
Cacotodes are found abundantly in areas with high biodiversity, wherever there is high output of detritus. They live underground within any soft substrate that is no coarser than sand. They inhabit a range of habitats: while most species are found in saltwater habitats, some have adapted to freshwater and even terrestrial conditions (provided the substrate is sufficiently moist). Cacotodes are important decomposers of many ecosystems: Along with consuming the excess detritus, their tunnelling behavior loosens the sediment and cycle nutrients to areas where producers could easily access. They can be found all allong the lowlands of Kub Shay, along the southern lowlands of Yama, the waters between Yama and Kubshay, the waters south of Yama, and all the waters surrounding Kub Shay.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Using chemoreceptors located on the head, cacotodes tunnel to regions of sediment rich in nutrients, before shovelling clumps of sediment into the mouth using its jaws. Such nutrients typically consist of detritus particles, but can also include live microbes ranging from single celled organisms to tiny animals such as newly-hatched cacotodes. In rare occasions when it stumbles across more intact carrion, cacotodes can latch on with their jaws, before rapidly spinning to tear away small chunks of flesh for swallowing (in a similar fashion to crocodilians of Earth).
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The eyespots are invisible to the naked eye, only being used to detect the difference between light and dark. Though essentially blind, their chemoreceptors are finely tuned for detecting potential food and mate.
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